Editorial

Sectarian Strife on US Agenda

Having invaded and devastated Iraq and finding it difficult to extricate itself out of the mess, the United States now insists on introducing religious conflicts as a trigger of crisis in the Middle East. It is trying all tricks in its bag to make the tension appear sectarian. The scenario of execution of Saddam Hussein was planned in a manner that it should appear as a Shia conspiracy. While Saddam’s crimes were not confined to killing of Shias, the media and the trial focus was maintained on killing of 148 Shias in Dujail town. Fact is that he could have been tried on hundreds of other counts which in anyway were cumulatively less heinous than George Bush and his father, during their occupancy of the White House. All efforts were thus made to paint Saddam in an anti-Shia role and his execution as revenge against a Sunni ruler. Viewed in this context, the videography of execution, and its posting on a website could also have been a deliberate act of inflaming sectarian passion with US connivance. The anti-Shia protests held by the Palestine’s Fatah movement in which the protestors supporting Mahmoud Abbas were chanting anti-Shia slogans, also fell into this pattern. Curiously, the Israeli army was responsible for maintaining security at the demonstrations. Perhaps the mass protests against execution in several Arab nations-usually abhorrent of any democratic venting of dissent-were clearly orchestrated by the minions of the US State Department. Having failed despite triggering several blasphemies-Danish cartoons, Pope’s outrageous remarks, Salman Rushdie’s infamous book-the US and the West have perhaps now chanced upon the civil strife as the most inexpensive way to set the Muslim world on flames. Iraq with its Shia-Sunni mix provided the ideal ground.

The US’ tirade against Iran’s nuclear programme and steady dose of accusations against Iran for ‘hobnobbing with Iraqi insurgents’ also further the US agenda of setting Sunni Arab nations against the Shia Iran. It must be borne in mind that the greatest threat to the regional peace has always emanated from the Zionist entity of Israel which acts as the stooge of US neo-colonial interest in the region. World media is actively engaged in covering up Israeli crimes against humanity, and US policies that do not link peace with justice in the Middle East.

The Jewish State has gone ahead with its nuclear weapon building in violation of all International regulations and has wasted no opportunities to launch murderous attacks on its neighbours defying all international norms. No crime in the list of barbarity has been spared by this entity. Yet it has got away with everything. US routinely vetoes sanctions against it and Britain regularly abstains from voting. By now, even fingerprints of US are evident on Saddam’s invasion of Iran and Kuwait which ultimately proved to be that stupid dictator’s nemesis. The current US media barrage is clearly directed at deflecting attention away from Israel’s sinister designs and fomenting sectarian strife in the Middle East. It is the Muslims world over, who should be wary of falling into the trap.

The Concept of Mind Care

The Muslim community has scores of Trusts and welfare organisations aimed at taking care of the educational and social needs of the young Muslims. Career guidance centres cater to the growing career needs of the Muslims and ever changing career options. Innumerable organisations within the community take pride in taking up the cause of communal harmony and rushing to the aid of victims during natural disasters. All these are important wings of the community. These are ‘essential’ services. But sadly the Muslim community is yet to wake up to the reality and the fact there are hardly any organisations set up by the community that can take care of problems like mental depression. There may be scores of Muslims who go through depression in their personal or professional lives and who require counseling. While showing the way to any neuro-sciences hospital to anybody afflicted by mental depression is an easy way out, it makes more sense to have a community-run organisation which will comprise a network of trained Muslim psychologists and psychiatrists who can look at the problem of the patient from a spiritual angle too, apart from taking into account the medical, scientific and social condition that lead to mental depression. “Muslim Mind-Care Centres” seems to be the need of the hour.